Popping ball top



April 9, 1963 J. H. BURGER 3,084,478

POPPING BALL TOP File d Aug. 26, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 INVENTOR: BUR

April 9, 1963 J. H. BURGER POPPING BALL TOP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug.26, 1960 INVENTOR. J21; UME H. BURHE United rates atom Eice

3,084,478 POPPING BALL TOP Jerome H. Burger, Bryan, Ohio, assignor toThe Ohio Art Company, Bryan, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Aug. 26,196i), Ser. No. 52,266 Claims. (Cl. 46-233) This invention relates totops such as toy tops. More particularly it relates to toy tops havingmovable balls within a transparent cover of the top and being activatedby the motion of the top.

It is an object of this invention to provide a spinning top which is anaction toy when in motion and which retains interest for the child whenthe top has stopped spinmng.

Another object of this invention is to provide an efficient, simple,effective, and economic spinning top.

Another object is to provide a top having a transparent cover so thatthe action of the toy is readily visible to the user.

Another object is to provide a top containing lightweight balls whichbecome charged with static electricity as the top rotates so that theballs appear to float in air because of the mutual repelling action ofthe balls.

Another object is to provide a spinning top having a stable base with afixed ball scattering vane inside the top connected to the base.

Generally, the top of this invention is comprised of a rotatable portionand a fixed supporting base portion, the rotating portion is comprisedprimarily of at least a partially transparent enclosed chamber which maybe composed of an upwardly opening circular dished member and atransparent dome over and covering the dished-member to form the chamberspace between the dished member and the dome. The top has an axisconcentric to the dished member, dome, and base portion along which mayoperate means for rotating the chamber relative to said base, such as ahelical rotational motion imparting reciprocal spiral, the manualreciprocating action of which causes the rotating portion of the top torotate relative to the base portion. A radially armed paddle member islocated in the interior space in the rotating portion of the topadjacent the concave surface of the dished member and may be comiectedto the fixed base portion through a fixed axle along the axis throughthe dished member of 'the rotating portion of the top. One or morelightweight spherical balls are enclosed in the space of the rotatingportion to be visible through the transparent dome of the top. As thedished member is rotated the relatively fixed paddles cause the balls tobe scooped from the internal periphery of the chamber for random motionin the chamber. The concave surface of the dished member may be radiallyribbed also to agitate the balls as the dishe member rotates relative tothe paddle member.

The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention andthe manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the inventionitself will be best understood by reference to the following descriptionof an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of the top of thisinvention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the top of FIG. 1 as it would appear inmotion;

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the top of FIG. 1 as may betaken along line III-III of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the dished rotating member as may be takenalong line IV-IV of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, it may be seen that the top 10 is comprisedmainly of an upper rotating portion 11 and a lower base portion :12which may be fixed relative to the rotating portion 1 1 as it rests upona table surface 13.

The rotating portion 11 of the top 10 may be comprised generally ofthree basic components. Two of these three components may comprise sheetmetal or opaque material elements combined to form a lower dishedrotating member 14. The circular lower dished rotating member 14 may becomprised of a lower concave upward element 15 having a flange 16 aroundits periphery 17 and having an aperture 18 in its lower central portion19. The upper half 20 of the dish shaped member 14 may be fabricatedfrom a piece of sheet metal or molded from any opaque material such asplastic. It has an annular central portion 21 extending concave upwardto a rim 22 where it is turned downward from the edge 22 of the concaveupward central portion 21 to form a surface 23 terminating in aperipheral flange 24 around its outer edge. Both of the upper 20 andlower 15 dished member elements should preferably be circular in a planview, as shown according to FIG. 4. The upper dished member element 20has a substantially flat portion 25 centrally of the concave upwardportion 21 having an aperture 26 therein at its center and may haveradial ribs 27 integral with the element 20 extending at least along theconcave upward surfaces 21 intermediate of the flat central portion 25and the rim 22. The peripheral flange 24 of the upper element 20 shouldbe such that it may nest in the peripheral flange 16 of the lowerelement 15.

The third basic component of the rotating portion 11 of the top 10 maybe comprised of an electrical non-conductive material such as plastic inthe form of a truncated conical transparent dome piece 30 which may havea substantially flat upper end 31 'having an aperture 32 at its centerand an outwardly turned flange 33 around its lower open end 34. Thediameter of the lower open end 34 of the cone dome 30 should be of suchnature that the flange 33 of the dome 30 rests on top of the flange 24of the upper dished member element 20* which in turn rests on the flange16 of the lower element '15. The flange 16 may then be crimped againstthe dome flange 33 to hold the three pieces 15, 20, and 30 together.

Affixed to the flat truncated top 31 of the transparent dome piece 30may be an annular friction disk or clutch plate 35 and movable clutch 36with a hole therein aligned with the hole 32. Above the plate 35 may bethe second and movable clutch member 36 which may be formed as a spiderhaving pointed clutch plate 35 engageable corners 37 and a centralelongated slot 38 positioned over the aperture 32 in the dome 30.Enclosing the movable clutch members 35 and 36 and attached to the flatdome top 3 1 may be a housing 39 formed of sheet metal or plastic, butpreferably of sheet metal secured to the dome 30 by means of tabs 39'passed through slots in the top 31 of the dome 30 which tabs 39 may becrimped against the inner upper surface of the dome piece 30. Thishousing 39 has an aperture 40 at its upper center portion.

A spirally twisted or helical metal reciprocating drive strip-41 ispassedthrough the aperture 40 in the upper surface of the dome tophousing 39, through the elongated slot 38 of the movable clutch member36, and hole 32 on the flat dome top 31, and extends into the space 42between the inner surface of the dome 3t and the dished rotating member14. This reciprocable helix 41 has a knob 43 at its upper end forconvenient grasping for its reciprocable pumping operation. The lowerend 44 of the helix 41 should be widened or bent over or have an outwardradial projection to prevent the helix .41 from becoming disengaged withthe slot 3% in the 41 there may be suspended :a decorative and/orprotective tubular housing 46, the upper end of which may have anoutwardly projecting rib 47 below the top 31 and then the upper end ofwhich may extend through the aperture 32 and have its upper edge 48 spunor crimped over the clutch plate 35 as a means for attaching it and thehousing 46 to the top 31 of the dome Along the axis 45 of symmetry ofthe top it), which in this case is vertical, there may be a lowerhousing 59 affixed to the bottom surface of the lower dish memberelement 15 and secured thereto by means of tabs 52 on the lower housing50 cooperating in circularly oriented slots in the lower element 15. Allthe elements, namely the lower 15 and upper 20 dished member elements,the dome 30, the upper housing 39, and lower housing 50 should be ofcircular cross-section and should all be aligned concentric to the axis45 of rotation of the top 10. The lower housing 59 should have a flatlower end 54 and should have an aperture 55 in this flat surface 54 inalignment with the axis 45 of rotation of the top iii.

The rotating portion 11 of the top 1% is supported on base 12 which, inthe embodiment disclosed in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, is a hollow conicalplastic member 60 having radially oriented reinforcing ribs 61 along itsinner surface 62. The base member 64) may have a hole 63 from its apex64- downwardly in a tubular housing 65 in the interior of the base atthe junction of the radial strengthening ribs 61. It is preferred thatthe base 6% be formed from a soft plastic material, such aspolyethylene, so that, as the top it is rotated and experiencesvibration, the soft composition of the base Gil will have good grippingand non-scratching properties against the horizontal surface 13 of thesupporting structure, be it table, floor or the like, to prevent the topfrom creeping as it rotates. A pivot rod or axle 66 may be supported andattached in the housing 65 of the base 60 and extend upward from thebase 60 through the journal aperture 55 in the flat surface 54 of thelower housing 50, through the journal apertures 18 and 25 in the lowerand upper rotating member elements to terminate short of the lowermostposition of the lower end 44 of the helical reciprocating driving means41 to establish the fixed axis 45 for the rotation of the top 10rotating portion 11 relative to the base 12.

Affixed to the upper end 67 of the axle rod 66 in the space 42 betweenthe dished rotating member 14 and the dome 39 there is an armed scoopmember 70 connected to the axle 66 by force fit in an aperture 71 in thecentral hub 72 of the armed scoop member 70. From the central hub 72 ofthe scoop member 70 extend one or more radial arms 73 which may beangled or configured above the concave portion 21 of the upper rotatingmember element 20, but such configuration is a matter of appear ance anddesign rather than function vital to this invention. The two arms 73shown have upwardly extending sculpted scoop blades 74 opposed indirection to one another and preferably extend from the arms 73 of thescoop means 70 against the direction of rotation of the rotating portion11. Thus, the stationary portion relative to the rotating portion 11,comprises the base member 60, with its axle rod 66 and attached theretothe armed scoop member 70.

Provided with this invention are a plurality of light weight balls 39contained in the space 42 inside the dome 30 above the dished member 14.These balls 8% are such size that as the rotating portion 11 of the top10 rotates about its axis 45, the balls 80 encounter the scoops 74(fixed relative to the rotating portion 11) and are tossed about insidethe dome 30. The radial ribs 26 in the dished rotating member 14 furtheract to agitate these balls 80 and assist in the general throwing of theballs 80 by the rotating motion of the top 10.

The dome 31 of this invention is preferably molded of a styrenetransparent plastic and the balls 80 may also be of non-electricalconducting material as plastic or such composition that they are chargedwith static electricity as they are thrown around in the space 42 by thecentrifugal action imparted by the rotating portion 11 and by contactwith the paddle scoop means 70 and the inner surface of the dome 30.Because of the mutual repelling nature of the charges on the balls 39,the balls seek positions as far away from each other as possible, butthey are attracted to the plastic dome 3d and to the paddle scoops 74.This produces an illusion that the balls 30 are floating in mid-airsince the balls 80 do not always maintain contact with the rotatingsurfaces of the top and hence rotate slower than the rotating portion 11of the top 10. As the top 10 slows down, the balls 84) thus may adhereto the dome 39 above the rim 22 of the dished member 14 furtherproducing an intriguing effect for the child operating the toy top 19.

While there is described above the principles of this invention inconnection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood thatthis description is made only by way of example and not as a limitationto the scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A top comprising: a stationary base having a shaft fixed thereto andprojecting therefrom, a rotatable enclosed chamber mounted for rotationon said shaft, said chamber having a transparent portion, a paddle meansimmovably attached to said shaft in said chamber, at least one freelymovable ball in said chamber, and reoiprocable means for rotating saidchamber about said shaft relative to said paddle means, whereby saidball is caused to move randomly in said chamber when it contacts saidpaddle means.

2. A top according to claim 1 wherein said chamber comprises a dishportion covered by a transparent dome portion.

3. A top according to claim 1 wherein said means for rotating saidchamber comprises a reciprocable helix and clutch means connected tosaid chamber.

4. A top, comprising: a dished rotatable member, a stationary basesupporting said dished member, a trans parent dome over said dishedmember, an axis concentric with said dome and said dished member,reciprocable means for rotating said dome and said dished member aboutsaid axis, fixed radial paddle means in the space between said dome andsaid dished member connected to said base, and a plurality of balls insaid space for random movement in said space during rotation of saiddished member relative to said paddle means.

5. A top according to claim 4 wherein said means for rotating said domeand said dished member comprises a reciprocable helix and clutch meanscooperating along said axis.

6. A top comprising: an upwardly opening dished notatable member, atransparent dome covering said dished member, a vertical axis throughsaid top, reciprocating means along said axis operable through said domefor rotating said dished member and said dome, a base below said dishedmember fixable relative to said dished member, a space above said dishedmember enclosed by said dome, stationary paddle means in said spaceconnected to said base, and a plurality of balls for random movement insaid space during rotation of said dish member relative to said paddlemeans.

7. A top according to claim 6 wherein said paddle means includes scoopsadjacent the closure between said dome and said dished member.

8. A top comprising: a stationary base having a shaft projectingtherefrom, a rotatable enclosed chamber mounted for rotation on saidshaft, said chamber having a transparent portion, a paddle meansattached to said shaft in said chamber, at least one freely movable ballin said chamber, and reciprooable means for rotating said chamber aboutsaid shaft relative to said paddle means, whereby said ball is caused tomove randomly in said chamber when it contacts said paddle means, and atleast a part of said chamber and said ball being composed of materialswhich are chargeable with static electricity generated by the relativemovement between said chamber and said ball when said chamber isrotated.

9. A top comprising: a dished rotatable member, a stationary basesupporting said dished member, a transparent dome over said dishedmember, an axis concentric with said dome and said dished member,reciprocable means for rotating said dome and said dished member aboutsaid axis, radial paddle means in the space between said dome and saiddished member connected to said base, and a plurality of balls in saidspace for nandom movement in said space during rotation of said dishedmember relative to said paddle means, the compositions of said dome andsaid balls being such that the produce static electrical charges betweensaid dome and said balls when said balls move against the surface ofsaid dome. 10. A top comprising: a dished rotatable member, a

stationary base supporting said dished member, a transparent dome oversaid dished member, an axis concentric with said dome and said dishedmember, recipnocable means for rotating said dome and said dished memberabout said axis, radial paddle means in the space between said dome andsaid dished member connected to said base, and .a plurality of balls insaid space for mandom movement in said space during rotation of saiddished member relative to said paddle means, said paddle means includingradial a-nms extending from said axis and terminating in scoops againstwhich said balls impinge as said dome and dished member is caused torotate about said axis.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS

1. A TOP COMPRISING: A STATIONARY BASE HAVING A SHAFT FIXED THERETO ANDPROJECTING THEREFROM, A ROTATABLE ENCLOSED CHAMBER MOUNTED FOR ROTATIONON SAID SHAFT, SAID CHAMBER HAVING A TRANSPARENT PORTION, A PADDLE MEANSIMMOVABLY ATTACHED TO SAID SHAFT IN SAID CHAMBER, AT LEAST ONE FREELYMOVABLE BALL IN SAID CHAMBER, AND RECIPROCABLE MEANS FOR ROTATING SAIDCHAMBER ABOUT SAID SHAFT RELATIVE TO SAID PADDLE MEANS, WHEREBY SAIDBALL IS CAUSED TO MOVE RANDOMLY IN SAID CHAMBER WHEN IT CONTACTS SAIDPADDLE MEANS.